Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and his New York counterpart Letitia James are part of a coalition of 22 state attorneys general who filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in three pending cases that argue federal anti-discrimination laws should protect LGBTQ+ individuals from workplace discrimination.
In their brief, the attorneys general insist that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender self-identification. In two of the cases before the Supreme Court, Altitude Express v. Zarda and Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, the plaintiffs stated they lost their jobs after their employers learned they were gay, while the case of R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC involves a transgender woman who said her employer terminated her job after she requested permission to dress in accordance with her chosen gender. The Supreme Court will hear all three cases together before issuing a single ruling.
“Connecticut has some of the strongest laws in the nation protecting LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace,” Tong said. “But every person, regardless of where they live, deserves that same right to work free from harassment and discrimination.”
“Fifty years after Stonewall, members of the LGBTQ+ community are still fighting for equal rights in every aspect of their lives,” added James. “No one should be singled out or discriminated against in this country ”“ not for their race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other reason ”“ which is why we are going to the Supreme Court to ensure equality for all Americans.”
Joining Tong and James are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
